


good (teachers) looking out

by youngerdrgrey



Category: Queen Sugar (TV)
Genre: F/M, Post-Season 2, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-29
Updated: 2018-01-29
Packaged: 2019-03-10 23:37:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,194
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13512135
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/youngerdrgrey/pseuds/youngerdrgrey
Summary: Ralph Angel looks for a familiar face on Blue’s first day of school. Besides Kenya, of course.post season two





	good (teachers) looking out

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Somehow, Kenya has aged over the summer. Her hair's more matted than it used to be, and her clothes could use a quick hand wash whenever they could swing it. Of course, Blue hasn't let Kenya go anywhere without him after Darla threw out his old one. So, there she is, aging worse than the rest of the family and on full display in the cup holder.

Ralph Angel eyes her from the driver's seat. Blue kicks his feet back down into the passenger seat with a huff.

“She’s coming with me, Pop.” Blue says it just about as stern as he can. “Kenya wants to see my new class.”

“You haven’t even seen your new class yet, buddy.”

“We’ll see it together.” He kicks back down hard as he can. “If Mommy were here, maybe Kenya and Mommy could catch up instead of Ken coming with me. But since she’s still not, then —“ he shrugs, and the way his eyes hold Rah’s is nothing short of Violet’s  _that’s that_  stare.

Ralph Angel sighs. “Fine, Blue. Do what you want.” Kids get worse the older they get, and there’s no telling what sort of teacher Blue’s got this year. Ms. Valez used to look out for him. She cared in a way that not everybody does for the quiet, sensitive ones like Blue.

They pull the car up to the school. Blue unfastens his seatbelt immediately. Practically throws himself into the backseat to grab his backpack off the floor. Ralph Angel takes his time and scans the rest of the kids out there.

Zack and Nick, the boys who used to pick on Blue just to pass the time, are already running circles around a yard duty. Some little girls are whispering and showing off their new backpacks and outfits. Blue’s got a new shirt with all the Power Rangers on it. A little bright, but it’s nothing that would draw too much attention to him. Under the radar for the start of the year, and maybe for a long while after.

Blue plucks Kenya out of the cupholder and sticks her into the big pouch of his bag. Baby steps. At least she’s not in the water bottle holder. Blue turns and stares out into the sea too. His jaw sinks back together, and his breathing slows to a stop.

Rah doesn’t want his boy’s nerves to look like fear.

He tugs on a smile and nudges Blue with his arm. “You ready, son?”

Blue nods with his eyes still out on the crowd. He gulps, but then he nods more firmly. “Ready, Pop.”

Ralph Angel leads the way down the hall. A bunch of other parents have their kids with them. Or, maybe it’s the other way around.

Blue’s new classroom winds up being right across from the one from last year. Both Bordelons peek over, but the teacher in that room definitely isn’t Ms. Valez. Some older white lady with a vest straight out of a cartoon greets kids over there.

“Alright, here we are.” Rah nudges Blue again, so Blue steps into the second grade classroom. Some of the other kids are already talking and catching up with their friends. They look up once Blue steps in, but their smiles don’t have that recognition behind them that Rah would’ve liked.

He leans down over Blue to whisper, “Anybody you know?”

Blue shakes his head. “Just Kenya.”

Rah nods. The teacher — this Asian guy — breaks free of another parent to greet them.

“Hello, I’m Mr. Porter, and you must be Blue.” Mr. Porter holds out one thin hand that’s pretty much nothing but bone. Blue takes it with this wonder in his eyes.

“How did you know that?”

Mr. Porter winks down at Blue. “Can’t reveal my secrets on the first day. Hey, why don’t you go take a seat? You can sit anywhere for right now, and we’ll figure out the seating chart once everyone’s here. I’ll chat with your dad a second.”

Blue wavers then. He turns back to Ralph Angel. “You’re picking me up?”

“Yup, right at three. And Aunt Vi’s already thawing some wings for dinner tonight.” Rah ruffles the little fro on Blue’s head. “Now, go on. Let us grown folks talk.”

Blue takes a breath to steel himself. He takes a step forward as he scans the desks. There’s a few empty ones, most of them by friends catching up. But there’s one towards the middle left of the room, an empty seat next to a girl who’s already reading a book instead of talking to anyone. Blue heads over there.

He clears his throat real soft to get her attention and asks if anybody’s sitting there. Real polite. Then he slips on in and unzips his own bag. Ralph Angel’d be lying if he said his heart didn’t clench up. His breath sticks in his chest, and his teeth grind before Blue tugs out a coloring book from the bag. Rah’s chest hikes in relief.

Mr. Porter hums from beside Ralph Angel to bring his attention back.

“Blue will be fine, Mr. Bordelon. His teacher last year, Ms. Valez, already talked to me about how he’s a little quieter than some of the other kids. I’m hoping we can avoid some of the incidents from last year with this batch.”

Incidents like other kids bullying Blue, or incidents like Blue fighting back? Either way, it’s a little early for Ralph Angel to start distrusting anybody. He nods, gives his appreciation.

“Thanks. And you need anything, I work out at my farm. I can usually get away.” That said, if the teacher already knows to look out for Blue, then there shouldn't be much trouble. And, if school's no trouble, then maybe Blue can just learn and be a kid for a bit. Won't have to worry about where his mom's at, or what all he's overhearing about the farm and the mill and the Landrys. This could be good for them.

Blue even tears a page out of his book for the girl sitting next to him.

"I will keep that in mind," Mr. Porter says.

Ralph Angel drums his hands against his jeans a second. There's not much else to say, and Teach probably needs to get ready for what comes next.

"Great. Thank you." Ralph Angel steps back towards the door before he catches himself. “Hey, you get a chance, could you tell Ms. Valez thanks for me too?”

Mr. Porter grins a little too wide at that thought, one of those knowing kind of smiles that has Ralph Angel lifting up his shoulders and straightening out.

"I can. She's also going to be overseeing pick up on Wednesdays and Fridays. Just so you know."

Ralph Angel makes sure not to smile at that. Too wide a smile, and all these teachers gonna think he has a crush or something. "Maybe I'll keep that in mind. Alright, see you at three, Mr. Porter."

He gives one more glance towards Blue. Then to Blue's bag, but he can't see Kenya from where he's at. He just sees another normal kid. His kid, safe.

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**Author's Note:**

> Would you want Ms. Valez to return in season three (as a love interest, or otherwise)?


End file.
